A Love Letter for the Ladies

To my fellow ladies:

Forget what our society has told you. Release your mind of what social media makes you believe you should have. Let go of the longing to be enough.

For every mean girl, jackass guy, or collection of people who made you believe there is something wrong with you, I offer you the truth.

You are perfect. Just as you are. Yes, you have flaws and imperfections. But they are beautiful and unique. A combination as unique as you was not created by chance. It was intentional - a masterpiece that cannot be replicated. You are one in 8 billion.

You are the most beautiful when you are yourself. You are the most talented when you follow your heart's desire; when you silence the noise that points you in their direction. You are smartest when you speak your mind, and the best to be around when you show up, just as you are.

Our world went wrong it leading us to believe that 'normal' was something to desire; that fitting in was the way to a life well lived. It is in creating your own path that you learn all that you were meant to, that you touch the world in all the ways you were destined for.

Your greatness is in your uniqueness. Your beauty is not just in your smile, but in your laugh, your heart, your brain, and your passion.You have a gift, a purpose, and a point for being the only one like you in a crowded sea of 8 billion people.

The truth is that you were born to be you. It may be hard to understand sometimes, but trust that there is a purpose. When you let your true self shine, you will find your way.

You are brave.

You are bold.

You are enough.

Just as you are.

#loveyourself #acceptance #beautiful #selflove #selfesteem #empowerment #happy #healthy #vulnerability #positivevibes

Silencing Your Anxiety

​Control what you can control, they say.

In principle, I love the idea of control what you can control. But, in real life, I am terrible at putting it into practice. In the face of uncertainty, my anxiety goes haywire. While I would love to be cool and collected, I find myself with a racing heart, tight stomach, flushed face, and a mind that I can't still. When there is a specific outcome that I want but can't control, my anxiety takes over and leaves me fretting about every detail and possible scenario.

Uncertainty is a real prevalent pain in the ass in the world we live in. Whether it is relationships, your career, or anything else, there is little guarantee and always a possibility of an unwanted outcome. If you too have faced that rush of anxiety when you aren't certain of what is next, you know that it can really limit your ability to enjoy life and live in the moment. And no matter how much you want to relax and breathe, you just can't seem to.

So what are you supposed to do when learning to breathe doesn't feel like an option? Understand what keeps you calm and bring yourself back to that.

When your mind is facing uncertainty (and subsequent anxiety), it craves a sense of surety; a calming reminder that everything will be okay. To help reduce the stress and its full body takeover, one of the most effective strategies is connecting back to a constant in your life. This is what I call a ritual, but in other words, focus in on a routine, habit, or anchor.

Everyone will have a different ritual that is able to effectively ground them and let the anxiety leave the body. Below are a few of our suggestions for you to try on:

• yoga

• running

• meditation (try this!)

• walking

• breathing exercises

• journaling

The key here is to find something that can calm you and continually practice it - don't just bust out the ritual when the anxiety spikes. By building a consistent practice (i.e. practice without the anxiety present), you create an anchor by reminding your brain of how it feels when it performs the same activity without the stress/anxiety. When you find what works for you, work on listening to your body. It will tell you when it needs its anchor - give yourself permission to listen and respond lovingly.

Please Note: if you notice that your anxiety continues daily for an extended period of time and you are concerned about how it is impacting your life, please reach out to a professional. CMHA has great resources to provide you with more information and support. Visit them here: http://www.cmha.ca/mental-health/your-mental-health/

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#anxiety #mindfulness #meditation #happiness #loveyourself #selflove #peace #perspective #healthyliving #vulnerability

Life Lessons from a Light Chaser

As I spend more time on this earth and exploring every crook of this body, I have become increasingly aware of myself – of the way my energy rises and falls with the season and the moon; of the tendencies that bring me safety and the habits that lead to disconnection. The more time I have spent with myself, the more I have become aware that I (like you) am complex and ever-changing. Nothing remains the same, and nothing is as simple as it seems.

Hours digging through dark corners with my coach, fleeting moments in meditations, and seconds of awareness while in community have led me to a place where I finally feel free to try, to fail, and to fly. It is from here that I am finally ready to embark on a project that my soul has long been dreaming of. And it is from this place that I share with you the three biggest lessons I have learned so far.

We don’t grow through the tellings of others. We must instead learn, explore, and conclude on our own. However, from the experiences of people around us, we can gain a sense of direction – new places to look at inside ourselves. May these three lessons give you a new lens through which to look, and may you discover something rich in your search.

The biggest lessons I have learned (so far – because I am confident there will be many more to follow):

1. The body we were born in to is the only one we will ever have. When we begin to love it as it is, it begins to love us back. I spent so many years trying to be smaller, fitter, more beautiful. I would look in envy at others, and in doing so, the disinterest and frustration in my own body grew. I would stare at my thighs and wonder why I had to be born with such thick limbs. Poke at my freckles as I tried to hide them. The change to loving my body was slow. It began with vocalizing something I loved every time I thought something negative. Quiet thought – I hate my hips in these jeans .. Loud thought – My strong legs make me fast and powerful. Doing this day in and day out, my mind began to shift. Body positive became my normal. And believe it or not, as my mind shifted, so too did my body. Because exercise became a way to reward and test the strength of my body, rather than a way to punish it. And food became a way to nourish my beautiful home, rather than starve it. And this shift makes you healthier, brighter, and more beautiful.

2. Our energy exists in flow – it will rise and it will fall. Listening to what your body is asking for will lead to far greater satisfaction than pushing through and forcing activity. Today’s world is a non-stop kind of place. You can always do more, be better, work harder. But some days you just don’t feel like it. It’s a struggle to put your feet on the ground; to move your body or work that brain of yours. I used to force myself to continue to strive forward. But the outcome was exhaustion, resentment, and lack lustre effort in everything. One of my greatest lessons came from realizing that if I lay off when my body is feeling low, I end up coming back more productive, powerful, and creative than I could dream of. Yes, we live in a world where everyone is always going – and while you may want to lay in bed all day, I appreciate that we can’t all do that. We have work to tend to, obligations to keep. But make space where you can when you need it. Take time off of those hard workout routines and go for a quiet walk instead. Put the development books away and reach for a book that lights you up (Chic Lit anyone?!) Break your no wine on a week day rule and kick your feet up in a bathtub. You deserve it and you will be thankful when you get that energy surge again.

3. Our pain comes from attachment. Accepting that things will change brings great freedom; and with it clarity, space, and a greater appreciation for what exists in this moment. Every heartbreak and sadness stems from something changing – from it no longer being what it was. The chains we place on our relationships, material possessions, and life circumstances feel so permanent; and yet, as the world changes and the chains are ripped away, it becomes clear that in fact – everything is completely impermanent. The day will come when your career changes, your wealth shifts, your loved ones pass, and relationships you once counted on become obsolete. Just as you can bet that the ocean will always come back to kiss the shoreline, you can bet that everything in your life will eventually change. When we begin to accept this truth, we are able to grow an appreciation for that which we have in this moment. Knowing that it will change doesn’t mean we need to be sad and mourn it now, or protect ourselves from being vulnerable. It in fact means the opposite. Love deeper, cast your net wider, and soak in every glorious moment – because it will always be shorter than you wish it to be. Breaking lose of the chains gives you space for opportunity, and you deserve what is in the moments you never counted on because that’s where the gold in life is hiding.

These are my most important lessons. What are yours?

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#loveyourself #acceptance #vulnerability #beautiful #positivity #fearless #selflove #selfesteem #wisdom #empowerment #breathe #mindfulness